Hole saw guide

ABSTRACT

A general purpose hole saw guide and a method of forming holes through surfaces, without the need of a centering bit, are provided. The hole saw guide includes a circular disk with concentric grooves on its surface. The disk is transparent and portable for placement on a surface through which a hole is to be drilled to facilitate the centering and stabilizing control of a hole saw on the surface. The method includes the steps of providing a transparent disk having concentric grooves; positioning the disk on a surface; mounting the disk to the surface; inserting a hole saw that is fitted to a drill into the grooves of the disk; drilling a hole through the disk and surface beneath it; and removing the disk from the surface after the hole has been drilled.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/460,529, filed Feb. 17, 2017 and entitled “HOLE SAWGUIDE,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby wholly incorporated byreference.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to general construction tools. Inparticular, the present invention relates to a hole saw guide forfacilitating the drilling of a circular opening through surfaces whereprior holes may or may not exist and where a pilot bit (also known as acentering bit) may or may not be used.

A hole saw is commonly used to cut large holes through surfaces.Complete hole saw assemblies are typically comprised of a hole sawblade, which is a cylinder with cutting blades or abrasive material onan open side of the cylinder, the blades or abrasive material of whichare parallel to the surface of the cylinder on one end and a hole on itsother end through with an arbor is secured. The arbor secured to thehole saw blade typically retains a long pilot drill bit on the one endand on the other end possesses a shaft that fits into a drill. Theprotruding pilot bit of the complete hole saw assembly, being centeredwithin the diameter of the hole saw and opposite the drill, is placed ona surface, perpendicular to the surface, at the center of the locationwhere a hole is desired. Upon activation of the drill to which the holesaw assembly is attached, the turning pilot bit of the hole saw assemblypierces the surface and, as it progresses into the surface, allows theturning hole saw trailing behind it to draw closer to the surface.

The hole saw blade, having made contact with the surface, begins to cuta circular hole in the surface around its diameter, stabilized in itsrotation by the pilot bit that serves as the axis of the hole sawassembly, and cut surface material is accumulated within the hole sawblade space between its walls and the pilot bit. When the hole saw hascut the hole through the surface and through to the other side of thesurface, the material contained within the hole saw assembly is renderedwholly separate from the substrate, and the drill and attached hole sawassembly are backed-out of the hole in the substrate.

The existing hole saw assembly presents significant shortcomings incommon situations, however. First, if a hole already exists in thesubstrate at the desired location of a larger hole, then there is nosurface on which to position the pilot bit of the hole saw assembly. Assuch, absent the pilot bit providing an axis around which the hole sawrotates, it is practically impossible to position the hole saw at thedesired location or contain the hole saw at its desired position whenthe hole saw is rotating. Furthermore, absent a pilot bit providing anaxis for the hole saw, it is not possible to pierce the surface of thesubstrate to stabilize the hole saw at the desired location and fromkickback or sliding of the hole saw blade. Such misalignment or kickbackmay result in a damaged surface and misshapen hole. At worst, an entiresurface may be destroyed and the operator of the drill fitted with thehole saw may be injured. In addition to problems arising from a lack ofpilot bit, it is oftentimes impossible for an existing pilot bit todrill into a substrate if the pilot bit is not constructed with a shapeand materials composition that is able to penetrate the substratematerial.

In the past, some have attempted to solve some of the inaccuracyproblems in hole saw drilling through the use of templates that allowsthe drilling of pilot holes in a surface. Such templates are notgenerally disposed to a plurality of applications or hole sawdimensions. Such a template is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,776. Whilethe devices disclosed therein may provide a limited solution for holesaw drilling, the tool is insufficient for general hole saw use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to address one or more of the shortcomings discussed above, ahole saw guide is provided herein. In the present embodiment of theinvention, a transparent disk with concentric grooves on its surface isprovided. The disk is configured for positioning on a surface tofacilitate the forming of an opening in the surface.

In the present embodiment of the invention, a method is provided forforming an opening in a surface. The method comprises the steps ofproviding a surface; providing a hole saw guide comprising a transparentdisk with concentric grooves; mounting the disk at a desired position onsaid surface for forming a hole; inserting a hole saw of desireddiameter within said concentric groove, said groove corresponding to thedesired diameter of opening; said hole saw guide mounted to a drill andforming said opening by said hole saw when drill is activated.

A hole saw guide may comprise a transparent disk, said disk having onits surface a series of concentric grooves, said disk beingdestructible, said disk being able to be mounted by a plurality of meansto a flat surface.

A hole saw guide system may comprise a surface through which a circularopening is to be made; a transparent disk having concentric grooves onits surface, said grooves defining a plurality of possible hole areas,said grooves able to contain and stabilize hole saws of correspondingdiameters; wherein said disk is destructible, said disk being able to bemounted by a plurality of means to surface; wherein said disk materialmay be removed from the surface after hole through said surface isdrilled by said hole saw.

A method of forming a hole in a surface may comprise providing a surfacethrough which a circular opening is to be made; providing a hole sawguide comprising a transparent disk, said disk having on its surfaceconcentric grooves; determining a desired position on said surface forforming a circular opening of desired diameter; based on said desiredposition, wherein said hole saw guide is aligned with said desiredposition and actually mounted by one or another means to said surface;and hole saw guide is mounted to said surface so that said concentricgroove of desired radius on the hole saw guide is aligned with saidposition where an opening through the surface is desired; and insertinga hole saw of desired diameter within said groove of correspondingdiameter; with said hole saw mounted to a drill and forming said holewhen placed in the hole saw guide and when drill is activated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present embodiment of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the hole sawguide, showing the top portion thereof, in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view of the hole saw guide from the top toward the bottom;

FIG. 6 is a view of a reference marking at a desired hole location; and

FIG. 7 is a view from above with the hole saw guide positioned over thedesired hole location, centered by aligning the reference marking with acorresponding groove on the hole saw guide;

FIG. 8 is a view from above, with a hole saw (without pilot bit) ofdesired diameter placed in a groove on the hole saw guide whichcorresponds to the desired hole position;

FIG. 9 is a view from above, with a drill attached to the hole saw ofdesired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw guide whichcorresponds to the desired hole position; and

FIG. 10 is a close-up view from the side of the hole saw of desireddiameter placed in the groove on the hole saw which corresponds to thedesired hole position.

FIG. 11 is a view from the side, below the surface, of the drillattached to the hole saw passing through the surface, having passedthrough the hole saw guide.

FIG. 12 is a view from above of the surface with an opening of thedesired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method.

FIG. 13 is a view of a typical drill and hole saw configuration (withexception of pilot bit).

FIG. 14 is a view from above of the hole saw guide centered over anexisting opening, and where a larger diameter hole is desired.

FIG. 15 is a view from above of the drill attached to the hole saw ofdesired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw guide whichcorresponds to the desired hole position, the desired hole diameterbeing larger than a pre-existing opening in the surface.

FIG. 16 is a view from above of the surface with the opening of desireddiameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method.

FIG. 17 is a view from above, for purposes of reference, of the surfacewith the opening of larger desired diameter, after using the hole sawguide and related method, with surface material from a previously madehole of smaller diameter that constituted the pre-existing opening inthe surface.

FIG. 18 is a view of a rendering of the hole saw guide to illustratedimensions according to an embodiment of the hole saw guide. Actualproduction dimensions may vary slightly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG, having beenconstructed from solid SLA material through a Computer Numeric Control(CNC) process. The invention may likewise be made with injection moldingprocess, additive processes (“3D printing”) or other methods that arecommon to the production of plastic goods.

1. A hole saw guide comprising: a transparent disk, said disk having onits surface a series of concentric grooves, said disk beingdestructible, said disk being able to be mounted to a flat surface. 2.The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk is constructed fromsolid stereolithography (SLA) material.
 3. The hole saw guide of claim2, wherein said disk is constructed through a computer numeric control(CNC) process.
 4. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk ismade by an injection molding process.
 5. The hole saw guide of claim 1,wherein said disk is made by an additive process.
 6. The hole saw guideof claim 5, wherein said disk is made by 3D printing.
 7. The hole sawguide of claim 1, wherein said disk has a diameter of about 9 inches. 8.The hole saw guide of claim 7, wherein said disk has a diameter of about9.4 inches.
 9. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk has aminimum thickness of about 0.02 inches and a maximum thickness of about0.12 inches,
 10. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk has agroove depth of about 0.1 inches.
 11. A hole saw guide systemcomprising: a surface through which a circular opening is to be made; atransparent disk having concentric grooves on its surface, said groovesdefining a plurality of possible hole areas, said grooves able tocontain and stabilize hole saws of corresponding diameters; wherein saiddisk is able to be mounted to said surface; wherein said disk isdestructible, and disk material of said disk is removable from saidsurface after a hole through said surface is drilled by a hole saw. 12.The system of claim 11, wherein said surface includes a prior hole wherethe circular opening is to be made.
 13. The system of claim 12, whereinthe prior hole inhibits the use of a pilot bit with said hole saw. 14.The system of claim 11, further comprising said hole saw.
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